Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

1. Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Workshop on MEAs Tirana, Albania 22 to 24 June 2010 Ivonne Higuero, Programme Coordination Ecosystems management focal point for Europe United Nations Environment Programme

2. Happy International Year of Biodiversity!Or is it?

3. Convention on Biological Diversity Objectives • Conservation of biological diversity • Sustainable use of the components of biological diversity • Fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources

4. Institutional arrangements of the CBD: the Conference of the Parties (COP) • The governing body of the Convention is the Conference of the Parties (193 Parties) • Its key function is to keep under review the implementation of the Convention and to steer its development • Other important functions of the COP include: • adoption of the budget, • the consideration of national reports, • the adoption of protocols or annexes • and the development of guidance to the financial mechanism

5. The Meetings of the COP • Meetings of the COP are held every two years and they are open to all Parties to the Convention as well as to observers from non-Parties, intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations.

6. Institutional arrangements of the CBD: the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technological and Technical Advice • The SBSTTA is an open ended intergovernmental scientific advisory body to provide the COP with advice and recommendations on scientific, technological and technical aspects of the implementation of the Convention.

7. CBD Financial Mechanism: The Global Environment Facility (GEF) • GEF receives guidance from the COP on policy, strategy, programme priorities, and eligibility criteria related to the use of resources for purposes of the Convention • Projects of the GEF are undertaken by Parties to the Convention and the Implementing Agencies of the GEF: UNEP, UNDP and World Bank • Executing Agencies contribute to the management and execution of GEF Projects • More than 150 GEF-financed projects are executed or co-executed by, or contain contracts or sub-contracts to, NGOs. • Projects generally deal with one or more of four critical ecosystem types and the human communities found there: 1) arid and semi-arid ecosystems; 2) coastal, marine, and freshwater ecosystems; 3) forest ecosystems; and 4) mountain ecosystems. The GEF also has a fifth operational programme: Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biological Diversity Important to Agriculture • China is both a donor to the GEF and a recipient of GEF funding. US$44.3 million has been allocated to China for biodiversity projects between 2006-2010

8. Clearing-House Mechanism • Promotes and facilitates technical and scientific cooperation, within and between countries • Develops a global mechanism for exchanging and integrating information on biodiversity • Develops the necessary human and technological network

9. Thematic Programmes • The COP has initiated work on seven thematic work programmes: • marine and coastal biodiversity; • agricultural biodiversity; • forest biodiversity; • inland waters biodiversity; • Island biodiversity; • Mountain biodiversity; • dry and sub-humid lands biodiversity. • Each thematic programme establishes: • a vision for, and basic principles to guide, future work; • sets out key issues for consideration; • identifies potential outputs; • a timetable and means for achieving these outputs.

10. Cross-Cutting Issues • There are a number of other items on the COP’s agenda addressing key cross-cutting issues of relevance to all thematic areas: • Access to genetic resources and benefit-sharing • Alien species • Traditional knowledge, innovations and practices • Biological diversity and tourism • Climate change and biological diversity • Indicators • Public education and awareness • Economics, trade and incentive measures • Ecosystem approach • Global strategy for plant conservation • Global taxonomy initiative • Impact assessment • Liability and redress • Protected areas • Sustainable use of biodiversity • 2010 Biodiversity Target • Technology transfer and cooperation

11. National Reports • The objective of national reporting is to provide information on measures taken for the implementation of the Convention and the effectiveness of these measures • The national reporting process is key to enabling the COP to assess the overall status of implementation of the Convention

12. National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAP) • Article 6 of the CBD creates an obligation for national biodiversity planning • The development and adoption of a national biodiversity strategy is a cornerstone to implementation of the Convention by Parties • A national strategy will reflect how the country intends to fulfill the objectives of the Convention in light of specific national circumstances, and the related action plans will constitute the sequence of steps to be taken to meet these goals

13. Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety • The Protocol seeks to protect biological diversity from the potential risks posed by living modified organisms resulting from modern biotechnology • It establishes an advance informed agreement procedure for ensuring that countries are provided with the information necessary to make informed decisions before agreeing to the import of such organisms into their territory • The Protocol also establishes a Biosafety Clearing-House to facilitate the exchange of information on living modified organisms and to assist countries in the implementation of the Protocol

14. Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit-Sharing—International Regime • Currently being negotiated under the CBD • Agreement on a framework for the international regime • Next meeting will take place in July 2010 • Objective to adopt at CBDCOP10 in Nagoya

15. “Biodiversity Summit”, CBDCOP10, Nagoya, Japan, October 2010 • 2010 target has not been met, and that extinction and habitat loss are continuing and accelerating, the stakes for COP 10 are high. • SBSTTA-14 focused on: urgent action to reverse the current biodiversity loss rate, finding the right timing for more politically acceptable decision-making, and making use of the opportunities offered by the International Year of Biodiversity and the Rio+20 process. • SBSTTA 14 charted a renewed way forward to fulfilling the three objectives of the Convention by mainstreaming biodiversity in different sectors and strengthening synergies across the composite puzzle of global environmental governance. • The General Assembly high-level event on biodiversity may provide an opportunity both for the Rio Conventions’ Parties and Secretariats to lay the ground for more synergistic and programmatic collaboration. • New CBD Strategic Plan and post 2010 biodiversity targets

17. The need to strengthen the science-policy interface on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services No single authoritative and credible voice on the science of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Strong support expressed for exploring the potential for a new intergovernmental mechanism Preliminary conclusions

18. To discuss whether to establish an IPBES and negotiate text on considerations for its function, guiding principles and recommendations. Busan Outcome document was adopted agreeing that IPBES should, inter alia: be established; collaborate with existing initiatives on biodiversity and ecosystem services; and be scientifically independent. They recommended that: the UN General Assembly be invited to consider the conclusions of the meeting and take appropriate action for the establishment of an IPBES; and UNEP’s Governing Council invite UNEP, in cooperation with UNESCO, FAO and UNDP, to continue to facilitate any ensuing process of implementing the IPBES until such time that a secretariat is established. 3rd IPBES meeting conclusions